Pistons stop Spurs, match their longest winning streak in six years

Coty M. Davis, The Detroit News on Feb 21, 2025

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AUSTIN, Texas — It is not too often that the Detroit Pistons get the opportunity to visit a non-NBA city during the season. But Friday night at the Moody Center, the Pistons continued their four-game road trip in Austin for an interconference contest against the San Antonio Spurs.

The game gave the Pistons a chance to play on the University of Texas campus, but it also marked their first contest following an eight-day layoff due to the All-Star break.

"It's one of those things once it becomes game-time or game-day, the routine stays the same," Bickerstaff said. "Different city, different arena. But for us, the motivation is the game. We were doing everything that we could to be prepared for that."

There was a slight concern that Detroit would be affected by the extended break. However, the Pistons' dominance during the first 12 minutes indicated that they had maintained the momentum that had led them to become one of the hottest ball clubs in the league since Dec. 21.

Therefore, the Pistons extended their winning streak to five games following a 125-110 win.

Tobias Harris and Ausar Thompson made an early impact on the Pistons. Harris scored 10 of his 22 points in the first period, helping the team build a 13-point lead (30-17) by the 3:38 mark. While Harris was Detroit's top scorer during the quarter, Thompson contributed significantly with his well-rounded performance, adding five rebounds and a steal. He finished with eight points, seven rebounds and four assists.

After a tough second quarter, the Spurs took a slim lead, but by halftime, Detroit's double-digit lead had narrowed to just one point (63-62).

De'Aaron Fox led the Spurs' comeback by scoring 10 points during the stretch. He finished the game with 27 points in his eighth outing with the franchise, which acquired him in a three-team deal before the NBA trade deadline on Feb. 5. Keldon Johnson scored a team-best 28 points off the bench.

Chris Paul hit a 3-pointer at 7:55 in the second quarter to give the Spurs their first lead of the night, 42-41. The Pistons fell behind by 10 points midway through the period.

Despite leading by a single point at halftime, the Spurs seemed to have momentum going into the second half. However, the Pistons started the third quarter with a 13-0 run sparked by Jalen Duren. He accounted for three of Detroit's six made field goals and finished the game with 21 points, 15 rebounds and five assists.

Detroit's dominance led to a 21-point lead (101-80) following a 3-point field goal for Malik Beasley (16 points). They outscored the Spurs 38-18 during the third period. Cade Cunningham posted his 24th double-double of the season with 25 points and 12 assists.

Observations and notes vs. Spurs

— Longest winning streak in: With this victory, the Pistons are on their longest winning streak in six years. March 2019 was the last time Detroit won five consecutive games.

— Harris' hot streak continues: Harris picked up where he left off prior to the break by registering his third 20-point performance over the last five games. Harris came into the game averaging 19.8 points on 58.5% shooting from the floor over his previous four games.

— No Victor Wembanyama for Spurs: Friday's contest against the Pistons marked the second consecutive game the Spurs played without All-Star big man Victor Wembanyama, who will miss the rest of the season due to a blood clot. The reigning Rookie of the Year has averaged 24.3 points, 11.0 rebounds and 3.8 blocks across 46 games.

Up next

The Pistons will end their four-game road trip Sunday night against the Atlanta Hawks. They will then embark on a four-game homestand starting Monday against the Los Angeles Clippers. Tipoff against the Hawks is slated for 6 p.m. at State Farm Arena.